New litter box

[Lauraeli]

My bunny's setup is a dog crate attached to an x pen. His litter box and hay rack are in the dog crate. But when im lazy i just give him hay in his pen.

Anyway. He sometimes pees over the side of his litter box accidentally. I just got him a slightly bigger one. I also moved it over to the other side of his dog crate. Easier to fill the hay rack if it is on that side. It is a difference of maybe 2 feet. He did not approve lol.

His first idea, after turning up his nose at the new litter box, was to poop in his usual spot. Litter box or no.

I put it back in the usual spot and decided I might move it over to the new spot more gradually lol

Any tips?

 

[Azerane]

Bringing in a new litterbox at the same time as moving the location may have made it difficult for him. It's not uncommon for rabbits to pee over the edge of their boxes when they get a bit big for them. Let him use the new box in the old location for a while, that way it will get his smell etc on it. Then do what you suggested and slowly start to move it across to the new location, maybe an inch every day or every other day. You'll soon find out if you're moving it too fast if he stops using it and poops in the old spot again.

That being said, bunnies are creatures of habit and there's a chance that you may not be able to train him to go in the new spot since they like to go where they like to go.

 

[flemishwhite]

Bringing in a new litterbox at the same time as moving the location may have made it difficult for him. It's not uncommon for rabbits to pee over the edge of their boxes when they get a bit big for them. Let him use the new box in the old location for a while, that way it will get his smell etc on it. Then do what you suggested and slowly start to move it across to the new location, maybe an inch every day or every other day. You'll soon find out if you're moving it too fast if he stops using it and poops in the old spot again.

That being said, bunnies are creatures of habit and there's a chance that you may not be able to train him to go in the new spot since they like to go where they like to go.

I'll agree with these statements. All my rabbits (3) have been girls and they lift their back ends up before peeing. Just last week, one of the baby bunnies (big baby bunny) jumped up on our couch and as I was looking at her, I could see her back end lift up...I pointed at her and said NO...She was looking at me ...she peed about a table spoon and jumped off the couch..I think she did this for mischievousness...No harm done since the couch is leather...just wiped it up. Yes, my girl rabbits ocassionally stand up before peeing and pee outside the litter box.

About litter boxes. Just starting out with rabbits in the house...you must put the litter boxes where they want them. Our previous Bunny, started out with multiple litter boxes in the house. By the time she died a little short of 12 years old she only had one litter box in the entire house...only one litter box for so many years. Our current Flemmish babies, are in a similar phase where they have multiple litter boxes.....three distributed throughout the house. They produce copious amounts of pee in the boxes. They will mark ocassionally mark with pee outside the boxes....just like our previous rabbit, Bunny. She was an adult and stopped this marking thing about 4 to 6 weeks after being turned loose in the house. I'm thinking present baby bunnies will stop this marking thing ....and if they don't, when they are neutered, I'm pretty sure it will stop. Just to repeat myself, with all the rabbits, it wasn't that much of a problem with all hardwood floors and leather furniture. Bunny caused a lot of problems, where she would jump on on our bed and mark our pillows with pee...then we'd have to launder the bed covers!!!

Anyhow, after some teething pains with Bunny, we ended up with a perfect house pet...work with your bunny and you'll have a really nice bunny pet. ..Now...about the Flemmish babies!!!!!We're still working with them. When got Bunny, she was an adult. But now, we're working with baby bunnies in the house!! And of course, these baby Flemmish are already the size of normal rabbits...they are not even 4 months old and they have so much energy and SO much appetite!!!. Bottom line, even near 4 months of age, they are basically very good at litter box training. I think like our previous rabbit, Bunny, when they get the house sufficiently marked (!) and for sure when neutered, their marking pee events will end.

I feel sorry for people that don't have a rabbit to share their house with. They are really lovely clean obedient little animals. You can't really know what nice little and intelligent animals they are until they bond with you.

 

[Lauraeli]

I found him outside under a car and he just took right to his litter box, with maybe one or two 'accidents'. That was on the couch so i think he was trying to show dominance and he hasnt done it since then.

He has always been good about using his litter box. He always just used it where i put it, in the corner of his cage/pen.

It is rare to even find a single poop laying around.

He left one yesterday in the middle of the floor lol in response to me wearing a hat which he apparently finds unnerving. It has eyes on it. I have to try to remember to take that off before i come in the house...

Anyway i agree with your analysis. Once the litter box begins to smell like him, i dont think he will mind me moving it, since he often moves it in that direction by himself anyway.

 

[MaryAnne]

I've always thought that we don't actually train the buns, they train us. In other words, they choose their spot, and we need to put a potty there.
One thing I try to do consistently is his normal greeting when I come in the door so he knows it's me. It's a falsetto sort of 'Hello Little!'. That way as I'm crashing in the door with boxes and purse etc, he is not alarmed. I've often thought he is sitting there shaking his head thinking...'the loud one is home'. :rollseyes

 

[Lauraeli]

lol i think that is the truth. I wouldnt try it if it wasnt a mere 6 or 8 inches from where he has used his litterbox in the past

 

[flemishwhite]

I've always thought that we don't actually train the buns, they train us. In other words, they choose their spot, and we need to put a potty there.

That's correct. For litter box training a rabbit, you are a part of the training process!!!

 

[flemishwhite]

To encourage their little box manners, you should instill a belief in them that they are safe when in the litter box.

I'd like to make a point to never try to touch them when in the litter box...an exception was the only litter box in the house was next to my bed..late at night when Bunny was in the litter box, I would gently rub her forehead briefly with the backside of my fingers.

Any Bunny thought she was being scolded, she would immediately run and sit in her litter box. She assumed this was a safe haven. (I never scolded her...nuff said)

Staring: My advice...don't stare at the rabbit when he/she is in the litter box. It's not a question of Victorian modesty. All predators have forward facing eyes,...dogs, cats, foxs, owls, ...and humans! Your bunny's intelligent brain may love you, but bunny's instinctive brain says you are a predator. (How do I know..another story.) Their instinctive brain does not like you to stare at them.. Often when I need to approach one of my bunnys up close, I close one eye and look at them with one eye only. They like to sleep on the floor, and if I want to have a petting session, I lay on the floor, stomach down, and slowly craw up to a sleeping bunny, with only one eye open, and give them a pet/shoulder massage with only one eye open. I don't think they want to wake up, with two big predator eyes staring at them from just a few inches away. Seems to work out.they are comfortable with this.